I didn’t know there was a puzzling history behind this island other than those stone faces. To tell you the truth, before reading about it, I thought it was near scotland (don’t ask. Click to know it’s location.) Well Let me tell you about this one mystery.

Easter Island have been puzzling historians and scientists. It is said that it used to have a large population and lots plenty palm trees, but today nothing can be found there, the island is deserted, and there is not a single palm tree on the entire island.

Scientists have been looking for answers for the disappearance of forests and palm trees in particular. They have developed many theories. I’m gonna share 3 of them with you:

Theory #1:
A thick layer of ashes was found in deeper layer in the ground, and it is wide spread, which led a group of scientists to believe that there was a huge fire that burned the entire island. The fire was caused, according to this theory, by a war. This theory went on to specify that it was an invasion not just a war, and this invasion caused the extinction of the entire population and the palm trees.

Theory #2:
Rodents took over the island. Rats found their way to island through ships that used to frequent the island. Dozens of palm nuts were found hidden in caves in the island. It appeared that even those palm nuts were not saved from the rats, and that chewed marks were found on the palm nuts, and that they were no longer could be used for regeneration purpose. Which ultimetely led to the extinction of the palm trees on this island. And this was the reason that led people to abandon the island in search of food and wood resources.

Theory #3: (I like this one the most)
People over used the palm trees as a source of wood until total deforestation. They used the wood to build shelters and roofs for their homes, and to help them as sledges to build those statuses you see on top of this post. One author posed a funny question, He said: “What were they thinking when they cut down the last palm tree?”

Side talk: This guy is asking what were they thinking? Isn’t the answer obvious? This is happening on a larger scale right now, in Kuwait, in the middle east, and in the world as a whole. What are we thinking right now is exactly what those islanders were thinking when they cut off the last tree!

I like theory #3 the most and think it could be the real reason behind the deforestation and the extinction of the entire population.